Blade sharpening apparatus

ABSTRACT

A blade sharpening apparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear face and a blade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife. The blade sharpening apparatus further includes an edge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edge of a knife.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/589,579 filed on Jan. 23, 2012, and entitled “BladeSharpening Apparatus,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein inits entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus for unrollingand sharpening a cutting edge on a blade that has its edges rolled ordulled. More specifically, the disclosure is directed toward animprovement including an edge sharpening device.

From time to time it becomes necessary to straighten, realign, and/orsharpen the microscopic edge of a cutting tool such as a knife. Duringuse, the edge of a blade becomes rolled or turned from direct contactwith hard objects. It is important to maintain a uniform pressure and aproper even edge angle when sharpening a cutting edge. Previoussharpening devices have involved complex implements that commonly removematerial from the cutting edge. Additionally, many of the previousdevices are designed for use either only by a right-handed orleft-handed person while sharpening one side of the edge at a time, notboth. The present disclosure relates to a sharpener having asubstantially enclosed versatile biasing assembly that resistscontamination during use and provides for outstanding cleaning.

2. Description of the Background

U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,569 owned by the applicant herein describes anapparatus for straightening and sharpening a cutting edge of a blade. Inaddition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,272 (“the '272 patent”), also owned byapplicant herein, describes an apparatus for sharpening a cutting edgeon a blade.

Earlier devices for sharpening blades fall into three broad categories:(a) devices having sharpening elements in permanent fixed relationshipsuch as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 578,440; 1,851,520; 1,909,743;2,767,530 and 5,163,251; (b) devices having sharpening elements inmovable relationship to each other with fully exposed biasing assembliessuch as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,110; and (c) deviceshaving sharpening elements in movable relationship to each other withbiasing assemblies not shielded from debris such as that disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 1,041,631; 1,570,083; 2,124,646; 2,885,836; 4,550,632;and 4,624,079 as well as Patent Nos. GB 293,785 and GB 517,242.

There are problems and limitations with all of these earlier devices.Devices having sharpening elements in fixed relationship to each otherare relatively inefficient, needing considerably more resistance whenpassing a blade between the elements in order to sharpen the blade andmay not provide optimal sharpening of the blade. These arrangementsoften remove perceptible metal fragments from the blade, which shortensthe useful blade life and is undesirable for contamination reasons.

In movable element arrangements, exposed biasing means, such ascounterweights, lever arms, springs and the like, are prone to collectfood particles and other debris during use. These sharpening devices areoften used in food processing plants where the blades to be sharpenedare full of meat particles. Where the spring is not shielded from debristhat may accumulate during use, this condition can cause relatedproblems of contamination and disease.

In certain food industries, governmental authorities regulate andinspect the processing of food for sale to consumers. While manysharpening devices produce a sharp blade, these prior devices havedisadvantages of exposed parts or configurations that collect debris andcontribute to the problems of contamination and disease. Additionally,cleaning the exposed parts of known devices is costly as these requirespecific attention to the meshed windings of springs and counterweightsand the like. Cleaning may require disassembly of the housing in orderto clean the apparatus and remove the debris. Sometimes when an operatoris using prior art devices, the operator may be of the misconception, innot seeing the debris that is collecting, that all is well and theapparatus does not need cleaning, which in fact is not the case. Thus,there is a need for a blade sharpening apparatus of the presentdisclosure that eliminates operator error due to unseen contamination,reduces cleaning and maintenance costs, eliminates contaminationthereof, and provides for unrolling and sharpening of blades.

SUMMARY

According to one illustrative embodiment, a blade sharpening apparatuscomprises a base member including a front face and a rear face and ablade sharpening member attached to the base member and being adapted tostraighten a blade of a knife. The apparatus further includes an edgesharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen an edgeof a knife.

According to a further illustrative embodiment, a blade sharpeningapparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear faceand a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide ablade to be sharpened. The apparatus further includes a blade sharpeningmember attached to the base member and being adapted for operation uponguidance of the blade through the slot and an edge sharpener disposedadjacent an end of the slot or an edge of the base member and adapted tosharpen an edge of a knife.

According to yet another illustrative embodiment, a blade sharpeningapparatus includes a base member including a front face and a rear faceand a slot defined in said base member adapted to receive and guide ablade to be sharpened. The apparatus further includes a blade sharpeningmember attached to the base member and being adapted for operation uponguidance of the blade through the slot and a cavity disposed within therear face of the base member adjacent the slot or an edge of the basemember. An edge sharpener is disposed within the cavity and adapted tosharpen an edge of a knife, the edge sharpener including first andsecond opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel and anattachment mechanism for retaining the edge sharpener within the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features of this disclosure and the mannerof obtaining them will become more apparent, and the disclosure itselfwill be best understood by reference to the following description ofembodiments of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the bladesharpening apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 illustratingoppositely shaped rear spring caps;

FIG. 3 shows a rear spring cap as illustrated in FIG. 2 accommodating abiasing member;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of theblade sharpening apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a front view illustrating the blade sharpening apparatus ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a blade sharpening apparatus ofanother embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a side view, taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating a blade sharpening apparatus ofanother embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a side view, taken along the lines 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating a further embodiment of a bladesharpening apparatus including three edge sharpeners;

FIG. 12 a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 11 illustrating attachmentof the three edge sharpeners to the blade sharpener;

FIG. 13 is a top isometric view depicting a first embodiment of an edgesharpener including a rod holder for holding ceramic rods for sharpeningan edge of a knife or other implement;

FIG. 14 is a front view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a rear view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a top view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 13;

FIG. 18 is a top isometric view of a second embodiment of an edgesharpener including two carbide blades;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 18;

FIG. 21 is a side view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 18;

FIG. 22 is a view along the line of sight 22 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a view along the line of sight 23 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 24 is a top isometric view of a third embodiment of an edgesharpener including two carbide blades;

FIG. 25 is a front view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a bottom view of the edge sharpener of FIG. 24;

FIG. 27 is a view along the line of sight 27 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 is a view along the line of sight 28 of FIG. 24;

FIG. 29 is a front view illustrating a further embodiment of a bladesharpening apparatus including three edge sharpeners and a handle; and

FIG. 30 is a rear view of the blade sharpening apparatus of FIG. 24.

Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will becomeapparent upon consideration of the following detailed description,wherein similar structures have like or similar reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to a blade sharpening apparatus.While the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms,several specific embodiments are discussed herein with the understandingthat the present disclosure is to be considered only as anexemplification of the principles of the blade sharpening apparatusdisclosed herein, and it is not intended to be limited to theembodiments illustrated.

In the Figures, like reference numerals indicate the same elementsthroughout. Referring to FIG. 1, a front view illustration of aillustrative blade sharpening apparatus of the present disclosuregenerally designated as 10 is shown. The blade sharpener 10 generallyincludes a base member 12 having a front face 14. A slot 18 is formed inthe base member for receiving and guiding a blade during sharpening. Anentrance 19 allows the blade to be inserted through the slot 18. Thebase member 12 also includes a pair of apertures 20 and 22 for receivingand substantially entirely enclosing a pair of biasing members 24 and 26so as to protect them from debris and other particles during use. Thepair of apertures go all the way through the base member 12. The bladesharpener 10 of FIG. 1 includes first, second and third sharpeningmembers 28, 30 and 32 (the third sharpening member 32 is positionedbehind the second sharpening member 30, which is more clearlyillustrated in FIG. 4), curved rods, which are used to sharpen thecutting edge of a knife blade or other cutting tools such as a scissors,shears or hedge trimmers. The sharpening members 28, 30 and 32, as rods,will unroll the tiny microscopic teeth on the edge of the blade when theblade is drawn across the straight ends of the rods using lightpressure. After straightening the edge of the blade, the blade is drawnthrough the curved rods with light pressure to sharpen the blade. Whilethe rods 28, 30, and 32 are shown as being curved, one or more of therods 28, 30, and 32 may be straight and/or have any other shape.

The base member 12 is provided with stop members 34, 36 and 38,preferably pins with knobs on the distal ends, which are configured tocontrol and limit the rotation of the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32between a first “at rest” position, as illustrated by the solid lines inFIG. 1, and a second position as illustrated by the dotted lines inFIG. 1. Stop members 34, 36 and 38 preferably pass completely throughthe base member 12 for easier removal and reassembly. The stop members34, 36, and 38 may have a shoulder so they are flush with the front face14 of the base member 12.

The base member 12 is generally formed of a hard durable plastic, suchas polypropylene, that is easily cleaned by water and/or a cleansingsolution. The base member 12 can be formed of any desired shape.

Rotatable posts 44 and 46 extend outwardly from the front face 14 of thebase member and are rotatable about a central axis of the apertures 20and 22 respectively. Sharpening rods 30 and 32 are secured to post 46for rotation therewith and sharpening rod 28 is secured to post 44. Asbest shown in FIG. 6, the post 44 includes a stem 52 extending from oneend. The same stem is present on post 46, which is identical instructure to post 44.

The blade sharpener 10 includes top guide rails 48 and 50 so as to allowa blade to be easily inserted at the upper portion of the slot 18. Theguide rails 48 and 50 may be formed of metal and angled toward theentrance 19 of the slot 18 to guide a blade into the slot 18 without theblade contacting the base member 12. Alternately, the guide rails 48 and50 can be offset with one higher than the other as shown in FIG. 7 tohelp guide the blade into the slot 18. The gap between guide rails 48may be slightly narrower than the slot 18.

The sharpening members 28, 30 and 32 are manufactured from suitablematerial to sharpen a blade, such as, 440 C stainless steel hardened to59-60 Rockwell C Standard by heat treating or the like. The sharpeningmembers 28, 30 and 32 are illustrated as curved in shape but can also bestraight as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 7-9. The embodiments ofFIGS. 1-6 illustrate three sharpening rods, but either of rods 30 or 32could be eliminated resulting in an apparatus having only two sharpeningrods, one extending across the slot 18 from each side thereof. Also,embodiments can be constructed having more than three sharpening rods ifdesired. The rods 30 and 32 are mounted parallel to each other but arespaced apart to define a gap therebetween through which the sharpeningrod 28 extends.

The stop members 34, 36 and 38 can be manufactured from steel, plastic,or other suitable material as is known in the art to be durable and towithstand the rigors of use. The stop members 34, 36 and 38 may be pinsthat have a shoulder that will be flush when the pins are pressed intothe base. Since the stop members go all the way though the base member12, the stop members 34, 36 and 38 can be more easily removed andreassembled if the stop members 34, 36 and 38 become worn out.

The biasing members 24 and 26 can be made from rotary coil torsionsprings having two free ends. In an illustrative embodiment, eachtorsion spring provides approximately 0.51-0.55 pound-inches of torqueto the rotatable posts 44, 46 and the sharpening members 28, and 32respectively connected thereto. The torsion spring may be selected toprovide such biasing torque although other tensions and torquespecifications are contemplated depending on the desired application.Other resilient biasing mechanisms capable of accomplishing the sameresult could be substituted for the torsion spring mechanism.

The base member 12 further includes mounting holes 64 so that the bladesharpening apparatus 10 can be secured to a work station, countertop,machine, assembly line or the like. Bolts can be inserted throughmounting holes 64 and mounting surface, and then fastened with nuts andwashers as appropriate. Alternately, the blade sharpener 10 can bemounted on the top of a work table or cutting board using grooves 65 inthe bottom lip of base member 12.

The posts 44 and 46 can be formed from DELRIN plastic or other suitablematerial as will be apparent to one skilled in the art. The posts 44 and46 both include a front cover portion 68 in the form of a skirt thatoverlies and seals the apertures 20 and 22 on the front face 14 of thebase member 12. The front cover portion 68 is rotatably received in arecess 70 (FIG. 6) formed within the apertures 20 and 22.

FIG. 2 shows a rear face 16 of the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1with oppositely shaped rear spring caps 97 and 98 on each side of theslot 18. In this illustrative embodiment, that can be used inconjunction with any of the later described embodiments, the presentdisclosure includes two oppositely shaped rear spring caps 97 and 98that fit into complementary shapes 99 on the rear face 16. The caps 97and 98 can be D-shaped or any other shape so caps 97 and 98 can only beinstalled in one position each for proper alignment of the rotatableposts 44 and 46 (or 72 and 74 described later with regard to FIGS. 7 and8) and the sharpening members. The caps 97 and 98 can be marked with anindicium that corresponds to an indicium on the rear face 16, such as“A” and “B” as shown in FIG. 2. The indicium on at least one rear springcap corresponds to the indicium on an adjacent portion of the rear face.If the spring caps 97 and 98 are put into the wrong side, it isimpossible to assemble the blade sharpener 10 because the flanges willnot fit into the base.

The caps 97 and 98 seal the apertures (i.e., 20 and 22) on the rear face16 of the base member 12 similar to the rear cover portions 58 discussedbelow and illustrated in FIG. 6. The caps 97 and 98 include central bore62 and a recess 63, which receives a stem 52. The term “rear coverportions” is meant to define caps 97 and 98. A screw 60 passes throughthe central bore 62 and is secured into the end of stem 52, therebysealing the apertures 20 and 22 on the rear face 16 thereof and securingthe rotatable posts 44, 46, 72, or 74 in place. In this manner, theposts are secured to the base member 12 and are able to rotate withtheir associated sharpening members.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cap 97 accommodates a biasing member 24 shieldingit from contaminants during use. The side shown in FIG. 3 would faceinward toward the rear face 16. The biasing member 24 may be completelyinserted into a recess in the cap 97 and, as a torsion spring as shown,is attached at one end 101 to the cap 97 and coiling in acounterclockwise direction. For this specific configuration, the stem 52would have at least two flattened sides to coordinate with the secondend 102 of the biasing member 24, which is shown as three sides of asquare. The “B” cap 98 would be of a similar construction, but oppositewith the coil rotating in the clockwise direction.

In operation, a blade with rolled edges is positioned at the top of slot18 and passed downwardly to the bottom of the slot 18 through thesharpening members 28, 30, and 32. The blade is pulled straight downuntil the sharpening members 28, 30 and 32 contact stop member 36. Thenwith light pressure, the blade is drawn across the sharpening members28, 30, and 32 until the tip of the blade clears the sharpening members28, 30, and 32 and the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 spring back tothe stop members 34 and 38 respectively. This motion unrolls curlededges of the blade.

After the straightening procedure, the blade may also be sharpened. Atthe top of the slot 18, the handle or hilt end of the blade ispositioned close to the front face 14, while the pointed end of theblade extends well beyond the rear face 16, depending on the length ofthe blade. The blade is ideally pulled about three-quarters of the waydown the slot 18 through the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 in onecontinuous motion. As the blade is drawn from the top of the slot 18 tothe bottom, it is also drawn horizontally through the slot 18 so theentire length of the blade is sharpened from the hilt to the point. Thesharpening members 28, 30, and 32 contact and sharpen the cutting edgeof the blade. As the blade moves downwardly the sharpening membersrotate and move downwardly with the blade against the torque of biasingmembers 24 and 26. The sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 rotate from thefirst position as shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 5 to the secondposition shown in dotted lines when the blade passes from top to bottom.The sharpening members 30 and 32 extend downwardly and across slot 18from right to left, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, while the blade 28extends downwardly and across slot 18 from left to right. The bladesintersect in a V-shape to lie across the slot. When sharpening theunrolled blade, the blade should ideally not be pushed all the way downso that the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 come in contact with stopmember 36.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, another embodiment of a blade sharpeningapparatus 10 of the present disclosure is illustrated. The bladesharpener 10 generally includes a base member 12 having a front face 14,a rear face 16, and a slot 18 formed in the base member for receivingand guiding a blade during sharpening. The base member 12 also includesa pair of apertures 20 and 22 for receiving and substantially entirelyenclosing a pair of biasing members 124 and 126 so as to protect themfrom debris and other particles during use. The pair of apertures go allthe way though the base member 12. The blade sharpener 10 of FIGS. 4-6includes first, second and third sharpening members 28, 30, and 32 asdiscussed above.

The base member 12 is provided with stop members 34, 36, and 38 tocontrol and limit the rotation of the sharpening members 28, 30, and 32between a first “at rest” position, as illustrated by the solid lines inFIG. 5, and a second position as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG.5. The stop members 34, 36 and 38 may pass completely through the basemember 12 for easier removal and reassembly. The stop members 34, 36,and 38 may have a shoulder so they are flush with the front face 14 ofthe base member 12.

Rotatable posts 44 and 46 extend outwardly from the front face 14 of thebase member and are rotatable about a central axis of the apertures 20and 22 respectively. Sharpening rods 30 and 32 are secured to post 46for rotation therewith and sharpening rod 28 is secured to post 44.

The blade sharpener 10 includes top guide rails 48 and 50 so as to allowa blade to be easily inserted at the upper portion of the slot 18. Theguide rails 48 and 50 may be angled toward the slot 18 to guide a bladeinto the slot 18 without the blade contacting the base member 12. Thegap between guide rails 48 may be slightly narrower than the slot 18.

FIG. 6 illustrates how the biasing member 124, or spring, is entirelyenclosed within the base member 12, which prevents the accumulation ofdebris, particles and other contaminants, and which advantageously makesthe present disclosure ideally suitable for industrial use.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the post 44 includes a stem 52 extending fromone end. The same stem is present on post 46, which is identical instructure to post 44. Disposed within the aperture 20 is a flange 54configured so that the spring 124 is positioned concentrically over thestem 52. The spring 124 has a pair of free ends, one of which isfastened to the post 44, and the other of which is connected to theflange 54, by suitable fasteners 56A and 56B respectively.

The blade sharpening apparatus 10 further includes rear cover portions58 for sealing the apertures 20 and 22 on the rear face of the basemember 12. FIG. 6 illustrates one such cover portion, which in this caseeach have an identical configuration. The cover portions 58 are locatedon the opposite side of the posts 44 and 46. The rear cover portions 58include a central bore 62 and a recess 63, which receives the stem 52. Ascrew 60 passes through the central bore 62 and is secured into the endof stem 52, thereby sealing the apertures 20 and 22 on the rear facethereof and securing the rotatable posts 44, 46 in place as previouslydiscussed

The operation of the blade sharpening apparatus embodiment of FIGS. 4-6is substantially the same as shown and described in FIGS. 1-3 for theillustrative embodiment.

FIGS. 7 and 8, illustrate another embodiment of a blade sharpeningapparatus 70 incorporating the features of the present disclosure. Theblade sharpener 70 generally includes a base member 12A having a slot18A with a pair of apertures 20A and 22A located at the lower portion ofslot 18A. Sharpening members 28A and 30A are secured in rotatable posts72 and 74 that extend through apertures 20A and 22A. In this embodiment,the sharpening members 28 A and 30 A are straight and adapted to besecured in the posts 72 and 74 with segments 78 and 80 extendingtherefrom. The segments 78 and 80 abut stop members 82 and 84 when theapparatus 70 is in the “at rest” position illustrated in full lines inFIG. 7. Each post 72, 74 includes a threaded portion 86, and a rear nut88 that secures each post within the respective aperture 20A or 22A. Abiasing member 85, illustrated as a coil spring, is concentricallymounted over each post 72, 74. The coil spring 85 is shown in FIG. 8 ashaving one free end constrained by a wall of the apertures 20 and 22with the other end connected to the post 72 such that the sharpeningmembers are biased to assume a first position shown in full lines inFIG. 7. The resilient biasing member 85 is substantially entirelyenclosed within respective apertures 20A and 22A by the nut 88 on therear face and the threaded portion 86 on the front face. A skirted coverportion (not shown) may be placed on the front face 14A similar to thefront cover portion 68 illustrated in FIG. 4. The major distinctionbetween the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7 and the embodiment of FIGS. 7and 8 has to do with the orientation of the sharpening members. In theembodiment of FIGS. 4-6, the sharpening members are mounted toward thetop of the slot and extend downwardly across the slot. In the embodimentof FIGS. 7 and 8, the sharpening members are mounted toward the bottomof the slot and extend upwardly across the slot.

In operation, the biasing members of FIGS. 7 and 8 position thesharpening members 28A and 30A in the full line position as shown inFIG. 7. The blade is inserted into the upper portion of slot 18A and, bya downward and simultaneous horizontal movement, the sharpening members28A and 30A are rotated by the motion of the blade to the secondposition, shown in phantom in FIG. 4, as the blade is sharpened. Uponremoval of the blade from the slot, the resilient biasing members 85rotate the posts 72 and 74 to return the sharpening members 28A and 30Ato the first position. The guide rails 48 and 50 are offset with onehigher than the other to help guide the blade into the slot 18. One oftop guide rails extends farther from the base member than the other toassist the insertion of a blade. Also the guide rails 48 and 50 extendwell above the base member to provide a potential hanging means for whenthe apparatus is not in use.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, another embodiment of a blade sharpeningapparatus 90 incorporating the features of the present disclosure isillustrated. The blade sharpener 90 includes a base member 12B having aslot 18B disposed at a mid-portion thereof. The apertures 20B and 2 Bare located adjacent the slot 18B at an upper end thereof. Thesharpening members 28B and 30B are formed from straight steel rods. Thisembodiment shows semicircular top guide rails 48.

A pair of rotatable posts 92 is provided, with a post extending througheach aperture 20B, 22B. Each post is threaded at both ends with a nut 93secured over the post at the rear thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Aresilient biasing member in the form of a torsion spring 94 is shownmounted within the aperture 20B overlying and concentric with the post92. The spring 94 is connected at one end to the post 92 and at theother end to the base member. An elbow 96 connects the post 92 tosharpening member 28B.

The operation of the blade sharpening apparatus of FIGS. 9 and 10 issubstantially the same as that shown and described in FIGS. 1-6.

A further embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 10 is shown inFIGS. 11 and 12. The components of the apparatus 10 that are similar tothe previous embodiments are numbered similarly. The apparatus 10 ofFIGS. 11 and 12 further includes one or more edge sharpeners 200. Theembodiment of FIG. 11 includes three edge sharpeners 200. In particular,and referring to FIG. 12, generally rectangular cavities 202 are formedwithin the rear face 16 of the edge sharpening apparatus 10. The edgesharpeners 200 are disposed within the cavities and may be retained byscrews 204. Optionally, an adhesive, a bolt and nut, a friction fit, aninterference fit, material welding, or any other retention mechanismknown in the art may be utilized.

An edge sharpener 200 may be placed at the bottom of slot 18. Guiderails 48, 50 similar to those illustrated in connection with any ofFIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9 may be utilized at or near the opening s ofthe edge sharpeners 200 on slot 18 of FIGS. 11 and 12.

A first embodiment of an edge sharpener 200 is depicted in FIGS. 13-17.The edge sharpener 200 generally includes a rod holder 210 and two rods212 a, 212 b (FIG. 14). The rod holder 210 may have a U-shaped body 214forming a U-shaped channel 215 with first and second opposing walls 216,218 joined by a connecting portion 220 that may have a height that isslightly greater than half a height of the walls 216, 218. Theconnecting portion 220 extends between a first end 222 and a second end224 of the rod holder 210. The second wall 218 and the connectingportion 220 are truncated at the first end 222 of the rod holder 210 toform an angled wall 230. As best seen in FIG. 14, the angled wall 230 isangled in two manners, in particular, the angled wall 230 is disposed ata first angle A1 that may be between about 2 and about 45 degrees,preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and more preferablyabout 17.5 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis 232 of the rodholder 210 and may be disposed at a second angle A2 that may be betweenabout 0 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 10 and about 30degrees, and more preferably about 20 degrees with respect to a lateralaxis 234 of the rod holder 210.

As best seen in FIG. 15, the rod holder 210 further includes a firstangled channel 240 having a first portion 242 extending through thefirst wall 216 and a second portion 244 terminating in the connectingportion 220 below the U-shaped channel 215. As seen in FIG. 14, the rod212 a is disposed within the channel 240 with a first end 250 of the rod212 a within the first portion 242, a second end 252 of the rod 212 awithin the second portion 244, and a central portion 254 of the rod 212a extending into the U-shaped channel 215. Similarly, as best seen inFIG. 15, the rod holder 210 includes a second angled channel 260 havinga first portion 262 extending through the second wall 218 and a secondportion 264 terminating in the connecting portion 220 below the U-shapedchannel 215. Referring to FIG. 14, the rod 212 b is disposed within thechannel 260 with a first end 270 of the rod 212 b within the firstportion 262 of the channel 260, a second end 272 within the secondportion 264 of the channel 260, and a central portion 274 of the rod 212b extending into the U-shaped channel 215.

Still referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, each of the rods 212 a, 212 b may beinserted into the rod holder 210 through corresponding apertures 278 a,278 b and retained within the respective channels 240, 260 by adhesive,a friction fit, an interference fit, or any other retention mechanismknown in the art. Additionally, the rods 212 a, 212 b may be trimmed,shaved, or of such a shape that the rods 212 a, 212 b do not extend outof the rod holder 210 beyond an upper surface 280 of the rod holder 210.This provides the rod holder 210 with installed rods 212 a, 212 b with asize and shape that conforms to the cavity 202, which prevents migrationof particles from a knife into the cavity 202. Each of the channels 240,260 may be disposed at an angle A3, A5 that may be the same or differentand may each be between about 2 and about 45 degrees, preferably betweenabout 12 and about 28 degrees, and more preferably about 17.5 degreeswith respect to the longitudinal axis 232. An angle A4, which may bebetween about 4 and about 90 degrees, preferably between about 4 andabout 90 degrees, and more preferably about 35 degrees, may therefore beformed by the intersection of the rods 212 a, 212 b, wherein exposededges 282 a, 282 b and an intersection 284 of the rods 212 a, 212 b forman edge sharpening tool. While the angles A3, A5 are both shown as beingthe same, the angles A3, A5 may alternatively be different and, in suchinstance, the angle A4 would therefore be asymmetrical with respect tothe longitudinal axis 232.

As best seen in FIGS. 13-15 and 16, a generally cylindrical bore 300 mayextend through the connecting portion 220. The bore 300 includes a firstsection 302 disposed through the second end 224 of the rod holder 210and a second section 304 disposed through the first end 222 of the rodholder 210. The second section 304 has a side wall with threading thatcooperates with threads on a screw and the first section 302 has agreater diameter than the first section 304. An end of screw 306 may beinserted and screwed into the second section 304 to attach the rodholder 210 within the cavities 202 of the blade sharpening apparatus 10.As seen in FIG. 16, the cavities 202 may also include threaded boresaligned with the second section 304 of the bore 300 such that, when thescrew 306 is threaded into the second section 304 of the bore 300,threading continues into the threaded bore within the blade sharpeningapparatus 10 to attach the rod holder 10. Threading continues until alower edge 308 of a head 310 of the screw 306 abuts a surface 312 formedbetween the first and second sections 302, 304 of the bore 300. Whileone specific embodiment for attachment of the rod holder 210 to theblade sharpening apparatus 10 is described and shown, it should beunderstood by one skilled in the art that any attachment mechanism knownin the art may optionally be utilized and/or variations of theattachment mechanism shown in FIG. 16 are possible.

The rods 212 a, 212 b of the edge sharpener 200 of FIGS. 12-17 may bemade of a ceramic material, for example, a nonporous zirconia or aluminaceramic, or an equivalent ceramic material. Optionally, the rods 212 a,212 b may be made of any other material that would allow sharpening ofan edge of a knife or cutting instrument having a cutting blade.

A second embodiment of an edge sharpener 400 is depicted in FIGS. 18-23.The edge sharpener 400 comprises a carbide insert, for example anickel-based carbide, having two carbide blades 404 a, 404 b. Thesharpener 400 may be a unitary or one-piece construction. Each of theblades 404 a, 404 b includes a top wall 406 a, 406 b, a bottom wall 408a, 408 b, and an outer side wall 410 a, 410 b extending betweenrespective top walls 406 a, 406 b and bottom walls 408 a, 408 b. Theside walls 410 a, 410 b are generally parallel and, with the top andbottom walls 406, 406 b, 408 a, 408 b, form a generally rectangularboundary of the edge sharpener 400. The bottom walls 408 a, 408 b havewidths that are substantially the same and slightly less than an overallwidth of the sharpener 40 and the top walls 406 a, 406 a have widthsthat are less than half the width of the bottom walls 408 a, 408 b.Angled side walls 412 a, 412 b extend between the top walls 406 a, 406 band the bottom walls 408 a, 408 b to form a V-shaped cavity 414 betweenthe angled side walls 412 a, 412 b.

Referring to FIGS. 19, 20, and 22, the angled side wall 412 a may bedisposed at an angle A6 that may be between about 2 and about 45degrees, preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and morepreferably about 17.5 degrees respect to a longitudinal axis 420 of theedge sharpener 400. Further, the angled side wall 412 a may be generallyparallel to a lateral axis 422 of the edge sharpener 400 (and thereforeat an angle A7 of about 90 degrees with respect to a front surface 424of the blade 404 a). An outermost edge 426 of the angled side wall 412 bmay be disposed at an angle A8 that may be between about 2 and about 45degrees, preferably between about 12 and about 28 degrees, and morepreferably about 17.5 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis 420of the edge sharpener 400 and may be disposed at an angle A9 that may bebetween about 0 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 10 andabout 30 degrees, and more preferably about 20 degrees with respect thelateral axis 422 (and therefore at an angle A10 that may be betweenabout 45 and about 90 degrees, preferably between about 60 and about 80degrees, and more preferably 70 degrees with respect to a front face 427of the blade 404 b). In particular, the side wall 412 b is angled awayfrom the other blade 404 a. Similar to the edge sharpener 200 of FIGS.14-17, the side walls 412 a, 412 b and an intersection 429 of thesidewalls 412 a, 412 b form an edge sharpening tool. As also with theembodiment of the edge sharpener 200 of FIGS. 14-17, the edge sharpener400 may include a bore 430 for insertion of a screw and attachment tothe blade sharpening apparatus 10.

A further embodiment of an edge sharpener 400 similar to that of FIGS.18-23 is depicted in FIGS. 25-28. The only difference is that the sidewall 412 a is also angled with respect to the lateral axis 422.Referring specifically to FIG. 27, the side wall 412 a may be angledinwardly toward the blade 404 b at an angle A11 that may be betweenabout 0 and about 45 degrees, preferably between about 10 and about 30degrees, and more preferably about 20 degrees with respect to thelateral axis 422 (and therefore at an angle A12 that may be betweenabout 45 and about 90 degrees, preferably between about 60 and about 80degrees, and more preferably about 70 degrees with respect to the frontsurface 424 of the blade 404 a).

A further embodiment of a blade sharpening apparatus 10 as seen in FIGS.29 and 30 is identical to the apparatus of FIGS. 12 and 13 except thatthe apparatus 10 of FIGS. 29 and 30 includes a handle 500. The handle500 includes a first generally horizontal portion 502 extendingoutwardly from the blade sharpener 10 and a second generally verticalportion 504 extending downwardly and away from the horizontal portion502. The vertical portion 504 is generally parallel to and spacedforwardly from the blade sharpener 10 so that the horizontal portion 502can be placed onto a surface for support while a user holds the verticalportion 504. A shield 506 extends outwardly from the handle 500 oppositethe horizontal portion 502 to protect a user's hand from particles thatmight migrate from the knife during a straightening or sharpeningoperation.

As seen in FIGS. 12, 13, 29, and 30, the edge sharpeners 200, 400 may bepositioned along an edge 320 of the blade sharpening apparatus 10 or atan end 322 of the slot 18. In one embodiment, if one or more edgesharpeners 200, 400 are positioned along an edge 320 of the apparatus10, a channel 324 is formed in the edge 320 such that outwardlyextending portions 326 are formed beyond the edge 320. The cavity 202 isdisposed immediately below the channel 324 such that the rod holder 210with rods 212 a, 212 b installed is inserted into the cavity (andattached to the apparatus 10) with the center portions 254, 274 of therods 212 a, 212 h, respectively, extending into the channel 324. Theoutwardly extending portions 326 cover the walls 216, 218 of the rodholder 210 and the channel 324 and the outwardly extending portions 326form a guiding structure for the blade of a knife.

During use of the blade sharpening apparatus 10, a user may draw a knifethrough the rods 212 a, 212 b or the blades 404 a, 404 b of the edgesharpener 200, 400 one or more times to achieve a desired edge sharpnessfor the knife. Ceramic and carbide have the ability to remove edgematerial, thereby transforming a blunt edge to a sharp edge. Theaddition of one or more edge sharpeners 200, 400 to the sharpeningmembers 28, 30, and 32 of the blade sharpening apparatuses 10 of FIGS.12, 13, 29, and 30 allows a user to straighten and sharpen a knife bladein a single device, which saves time. With the apparatus 10, a user doesnot have to stop what they are doing to have their knife sharpened orretrieve a new knife.

While three edge sharpeners 200, 400 are depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13,any number of edge sharpeners 200 may be utilized at the end 322 of theslot 18 or positioned along the edge 320 of the blade sharpeningapparatus 10. In one embodiment in which multiple edge sharpeners 200are utilized, the edge sharpeners 200 may have different dimensions, forexample, for different sized or shaped knives. In a further embodimentin which multiple edge sharpeners 200 are utilized, the rods 212 a, 212b or blades 404 a, 404 b may have different coarsenesses. In onenon-limiting example, the rods 212 a, 212 b or the blades 404 a, 404 bof a first sharpener 200, 400 may have a rough coarseness, the rods 212a, 212 b or the blades 404 a, 404 b of a second sharpener 200, 400 mayhave a medium coarseness, and the rods 212 a, 212 b or the blades 404 a,404 b of a third sharpener 200, 400 may have a fine coarseness.

The edge sharpeners 200, 400 may be utilized with any of the bladesharpening apparatuses 10 disclosed herein. If multiple edge sharpeners200, 400 are utilized within a blade sharpening apparatus 200, 400, theedges sharpeners 200, 400 need not be the same. In particular, anycombination of ceramic and/or carbide blade sharpeners 200, 400 may beutilized.

Any of the embodiments described herein may be modified to include anyof the structures or methodologies disclosed in connection with otherembodiments.

Further, although directional terminology, such as front, back, upper,lower, etc. may be used throughout the present specification, it shouldbe understood that such terms are not limiting and are only utilized toconvey the orientation of different elements with respect to oneanother.

The above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting.Although the illustrative embodiments are illustrated and described inconnection with particular types of blade sharpening apparatuses, theymay be adapted for use with a variety of blade sharpening apparatuses.Other embodiments and equivalent tools are envisioned. Various featureshave been particularly shown and described in connection with theillustrated embodiments, however, it must be understood that theseparticular embodiments are merely illustrative and that the disclosureis to be given its fullest interpretation.

1. A blade sharpening apparatus comprising: a base member including afront face and a rear face; a blade sharpening member attached to thebase member and being adapted to straighten a blade of a knife; and anedge sharpener disposed within the base member and adapted to sharpen anedge of a knife.
 2. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe blade sharpening member includes a slot extending inwardly from anedge of the base member and at least two sharpening members disposed onopposing sides of the slots.
 3. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim2, wherein each of the at least two sharpening members is attached to abiasing member that biases a respective sharpening member toward anopposing sharpening member.
 4. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim3, wherein when a blade of a knife is moved along the channel, the bladepushes the sharpening members against the bias of the biasing membersuntil the sharpening members are stopped by respective posts.
 5. Theblade sharpening apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sharpening membersare curved.
 6. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 1, wherein acavity is disposed within the base member and the edge sharpener isdisposed within the cavity.
 7. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim6, wherein the edge sharpener includes a holder that is retained withinthe cavity and first and second opposing sharpening members forming aV-shaped channel.
 8. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 7, whereinthe holder includes a U-shaped body forming a U-shaped channel withfirst and second opposing walls joined by a connecting portion, a firstchannel formed at least partially through the first wall and theconnecting portion, and a second channel formed at least partiallythrough the second wall and the connecting portion, wherein the firstand second sharpening members are positioned within the first and secondchannels, respectively.
 9. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 8,wherein the first and second channels are angled such that the first andsecond sharpening members are disposed at an angle of between about 4degrees and about 90 degrees with respect to one another.
 10. The bladesharpening apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge sharpener includes twoblades each having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outer side wallextending between the top and bottom walls, and angled side wallsextending between the top and bottom walls to form a V-shaped cavitytherebetween, wherein the top walls have widths that are less thanwidths of corresponding bottom walls.
 11. The blade sharpening apparatusof claim 10, wherein a first of the angled side walls forms an firstangle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that isbetween about 2 and about 45 degrees and a second of the angled sidewalls forms a second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of theedge sharpener that is between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees. 12.The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 11, wherein one of the first andsecond angled side walls includes an edge that is disposed at an outwardangle of between about 0 degrees and about 45 degrees with respect to alateral axis of the edge sharpener.
 13. The blade sharpening apparatusof claim 12, wherein the other of the first and second angled side wallsincludes an edge that is disposed at an inward angle of between about 0and about 45 degrees with respect to the lateral axis.
 14. A bladesharpening apparatus comprising: a base member including a front faceand a rear face; a slot defined in said base member adapted to receiveand guide a blade to be sharpened; a blade sharpening member attached tothe base member and being adapted for operation upon guidance of theblade through the slot; and an edge sharpener disposed adjacent an endof the slot or an edge of the base member and adapted to sharpen an edgeof a knife.
 15. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 14, wherein theblade sharpening member includes at least two sharpening membersdisposed on opposing sides of the slot and wherein each of the at leasttwo sharpening members is attached to a biasing member that biases arespective sharpening member toward an opposing sharpening member. 16.The blade sharpening apparatus of claim 15, wherein when a blade of aknife is moved along the channel, the blade pushes the sharpeningmembers against the bias of the biasing members until the sharpeningmembers are stopped by respective posts.
 17. The blade sharpeningapparatus of claim 14, wherein the edge sharpener includes a holder thatis retained within the cavity, first and second opposing sharpeningmembers forming a V-shaped channel, and a U-shaped body forming aU-shaped channel with first and second opposing walls joined by aconnecting portion, a first channel formed at least partially throughthe first wall and the connecting portion, and a second channel formedat least partially through the second wall and the connecting portion,wherein the first and second sharpening members are positioned withinthe first and second channels, respectively.
 18. The blade sharpeningapparatus of claim 14, wherein the edge sharpener includes two bladeseach having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outer side wall extendingbetween the top and bottom walls, and angled side walls extendingbetween the top and bottom walls to form a V-shaped cavity therebetween,wherein the top walls have widths that are less than widths ofcorresponding bottom walls.
 19. The blade sharpening apparatus of claim18, wherein a first of the angled side walls forms an first angle withrespect to a longitudinal axis of the edge sharpener that is betweenabout 2 and about 45 degrees and a second of the angled side walls formsa second angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the edgesharpener that is between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees.
 20. Ablade sharpening apparatus comprising: a base member including a frontface and a rear face; a slot defined in said base member adapted toreceive and guide a blade to be sharpened; a blade sharpening memberattached to the base member and being adapted for operation uponguidance of the blade through the slot; and a cavity disposed within therear face of the base member adjacent the slot or an edge of the basemember; and an edge sharpener disposed within the cavity and adapted tosharpen an edge of a knife, the edge sharpener including first andsecond opposing sharpening members forming a V-shaped channel and anattachment mechanism for retaining the edge sharpener within the cavity.